Blog
A New Year’s Gift for Hurting Parents
Being the parent of a child who has a history of making poor choices, struggles with an addiction, mental illness or their sexual orientation, is life-changing. The journey can leave you depleted, depressed and hopeless. It’s a New Year when many are setting goals for the coming year. 2025 may be scary for you to think about, but there is a good word for you here from a mom who has struggled too. She knows how hard this is. She wrote this post for you and your broken heart, sharing what God gave her during her worst times.
Where I Found Help When My Daughter was Diagnosed with Mental Illness
This is Mental Health Awareness Week. I remember when I had no awareness on this topic. I was clueless. I still remember how it felt when the psychiatrist told my husband and I...
What to do When Your Child Shocks You
My heart ached to hear about the shooting at the college in Oregon this past week. How shocked and grieved the parents must have been to hear of their child's death or injury...
A Few Helpful Resources on Suicide for Families
Are you a parent, grandparent - or some other family member - who's been impacted by the suicide of someone you loved? I wrote a three-part series on suicide discussing the...
When Change Ruins a Parent’s Dreams
Change. There's good change and then there's bad change. For a parent, bad change means pain and disappointment. More heartache. More bad news. More brokenness. The source may be...
Something Disillusioned Parents Need
Have you had days in your parenting when you felt disillusioned? To be honest, I didn't like the person my nineteen year old daughter had become. She was rude, disrespectful,...
When You’re a Parent Who’s Given Up
I was putting away the dishes after dinner one evening when suddenly a plate slipped out of my hands. It crashed to the floor and shattered into hundreds of little pieces. I was...
What I Didn’t Know I needed: From the Mother of an addict with Dual Diagnosis
Are you a mom or dad who thought you'd lose your mind from fear and worry over your beloved child? You stood by, powerless, while they began to go down the wrong road of drugs,...
A Mom’s Journey to Freedom from Enabling
Today’s guest blogger is my friend Allison Bottke, author of the Boundaries Books. When we make the decision to release our adult children to fend for themselves, it can be both...
Two Things Parents of Addicts Need
What are two things parents of addicts need - or parents of any child that's causing them pain and heartache? I'm one of those parents, so I have a pretty good idea. It does't...
A Little Encouragement for Parents with Broken Hearts
I remember how it felt when things kept going from bad to worse with my daughter. Drinking too much, abusing drugs, refusing treatment for bipolar and repeatedly punishing...
Help for Parents of Drug and Alcohol Addicted Children
"I can't think straight." "I don't know which way to go." "I haven't got a clue where to find help." "I feel so lost." Have you said any of these things due to the choices and...
10 Insights for Parents From a Former Lesbian
“Mom, dad, there’s something I’ve wanted to tell you for a long time”, you shudder with dread over what you’re about to hear, “but, I didn’t know how. I was afraid of how you...